Page 57 of The Secret Heir Next Door

I force a smile, shaking my head lightly. “It’s inappropriate for the help to be talking to the guests. I’m not sure you should be touching me.”

“What does that mean?”

“Ask your mother.”

He closes his eyes and sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about her, Serena. She’s… She’s a lot.”

I shrug, trying to brush it off, but it’s hard to ignore the ache in my chest. “It’s fine. I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Still,” he says, his voice low, “she had no right to say that to you. I’ll talk to her.”

“Please don’t,” I reply quickly, my hand lightly brushing his arm. “It’ll only make things more awkward. Let’s just focus on Abby today, okay?”

He looks at me for a long moment, something unreadable in his eyes, before he nods. “Okay. But if she says anything else…”

“I can handle it, Logan,” I assure him, even though part of me is screaming that I want him to protect me, to stand up for me.

His gaze softens, and the tension between us crackles. For a second, I think he might lean in and kiss me, but then Abby comes running over, breaking the spell.

“Aunt Serena! Come on, you have to see this!” she exclaims, grabbing my hand and pulling me away.

Aunt Serena? Oh, Logan’s mom is going to love that.

I glance back at Logan, catching the wistful smile on his face before Abby tugs me toward a group of kids gathered around the unicorns.

I let myself be swept up in the bedlam, playing along with the kids and laughing as Abby proudly shows off every detail of the party to her friends. She’s in her element and seeing her so happy makes everything worth it.

“Aunt Serena, can you be my partner in the sack race?” Abby asks, her eyes wide and pleading.

“Of course I can, sweetie,” I reply, bending down to give her a hug. “But I warn you, I’m pretty fast.”

She giggles, hugging me back. “I know! That’s why I want you!”

The sack race is a riot of laughter and friendly competition, with Abby and me narrowly missing first place, but we don’t care. The whole time, I can feel Logan’s eyes on me, and it’s hard not to glance his way every few seconds.

He’s so hot.

“I really am so thrilled that you and Logan are together,” Dee sighs as she walks up beside me.

“He’s a good guy,” I smile before Abby races toward me.

“This is the best day ever!”

I smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m so glad you’re happy, Abby. That’s all that matters to me.”

She grins up at me, her face smeared with frosting. “You’re like my real aunt, you know? I’m going to call you Aunt Serena from now on.”

Her words make my heart swell, but they also make me acutely aware of Logan’s mother, who is watching us with a displeased frown. I can practically feel her disapproval radiating off her, but I refuse to let it ruin this moment.

“Aunt Serena, it is, then,” I say, giving Abby a wink. “Now, who wants another slice of cake?”

The kids cheer, and I dive back into party mode, slicing the cake and ensuring everyone gets a piece. But even as I’m serving the cake, I can’t shake the feeling of Logan’s mother’s eyes on me, judging me, waiting for me to slip up.

Finally, as the party starts to wind down, I see her motioning to Dee. They exchange a few words, and then Dee comes over to where Abby and I are sitting on the grass, surrounded by wrapping paper and new toys.

“Abby, sweetheart,” she says, her voice overly sweet, “why don’t we go wash up? You’ve got a bit of frosting on your dress.”

Abby looks down at her dress and then back at me, a pout forming on her lips. “But I want to stay with Aunt Serena.”